Improvement in packing cartridges



C. SHARPS.

Cartridge.

' Patented July 10, 1860.

Min e55 125.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cHeIsTIAN SHARPS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PACKING CARTRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 29,108, dated July 10, 1860.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN SHARPS, of the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Process of Packing Cartridges with Detonatin g Material; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists in a process of packing the hollow collars of metallic cartridges with detonate by means of a wad of the peculiar form and applied in the novel manner described hereafter, so that the detonate may be conveyed to the said hollow collar, as well as packed into and confined therein, with facility and precision.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to practice my invention, 1 will now proceed to describe the manner in which I carry it into effect.

On reference to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents the first part of my process of packing metallic cartridges with detonate; Fig. 2, the second part of my process; Fig. 3, a plan of Fig. 2 5 Fig. 4, the third step of the process. Fig. 5 illustrates the manner of completing the packing process; and Figs. 6 and 7 are views showing a metallic wad for packing the detonate.

The instruments by which I accomplish my process consist of two metal blocks, A and B, a plunger or ram, 0, with a flat end, and a second plunger or ram, D, with a rounded end. The block A is in thickness equal to the length of the metallic cartridge m, which fits snugly in an orifice in the said block, as seen in Fig. 4. The block B has an orifice of exactly the same diameter as that of the inside of the cartridge, and is provided with projecting pins, a a, adapted to orifices b b (Fig. 3) in the block A, so that the two blocks, after being separated, may always occupy the same position in respect to each other, the orifice of one block being concentric with that of the other. In the first instance, the block B (removed from the block A) is placed on a level surface, E, (Fig. 1,) the pins a projecting downward. A

wad, d, of the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2,

and 4, is then inserted in the orifice of the block, and is rammed down by the plunger 0 until the under surface of the said wad touches the surface E, after which the block is turned upside down, as seen in Fig. 2.

It will be observed that there is an annular recess between that portion of the wad which is smallest in diameter and the side of the orifice of the block, and that the depth of the recess is limited by the collar formed on the wad by the portion of the latter which fits tightly into the orifice of the block. Into this annular recess I deposit the detonating powder by rubbing the latterover the surface of both wad and block until the recess is completely filled,- after which all the superfluous powder is removed from the surface of the block and wad.

The block A, with its cartridge to, is now placed over the block B, (Fig. 4,) the pins of the latter block fitting into the orifices of the former. The two blocks are then applied to the plungerO, which is held stationary while the blocks are depressed, thus causing the plunger (3 to push the wad cl, with its annular body of detonate, from the orifice of the block B into-the inside of the metallic cartridge, and upward to the end of the same, when the detonate, which has hitherto been confined to the annular space, is in a position to communicate with the interior of the hollow collar formed on the end of the cartridge, and to be packed within the same by the last step of the process, which is accomplished as follows: The block A is removed from'the block B, and placed upside down on a level surface, as seen in Fig. 5. A plunger, D, is now inserted into the cartridge, so as to bear with its rounded end on the wad. By either a smart blow or a uniform pressure imparted to the plunger, the rounded end of the latter indents the wad in the middle, and causes it to assume the form represented in Fig. 5, and to pack the detonate tightly into the hollow collar. After this the plunger D is removed, and the cartridge is forced from the recess in the block A, and is now ready for receiving its charge of powder and ball.

The wad d, as illustrated in the above-described figure, is made of ordinary pasteboard.

-It may, however, be made of thin metal, and

of the form shown in Fig. 6, in which case the by adopting plates or blocks containing as many orifices as there are cartridges to pack, and by the use of plates having a corresponding number of plungers, O and D.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 7.

The processof packing the hollow collars of metallic cartridges with detonating-powder, by means of a wad, d, of a form substantially as specified, and applied substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In'testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTIAN SHARPS.

Witnesses Y HENRY Howsorr, CHARLES D. FREEMAN. 

